Accelerated existence
Motorino, Emily Roux, best specialty grocers, Mayfair properties, Sale e Pepe Mare, Genki Designs, The Ned, Kuramathi, MORE
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Full throttle
The Skinny: It’s not six months since Stevie Parle opened Town, a design-forward restaurant in Theatreland that immediately garnered raves. He’s followed up with Motorino, in a huge space in Fitzrovia, sporting the same retro-futuristic aesthetic and a modern Italian menu from chef Luke Ahearne.
The Vibe: Motorino’s glossy interior wouldn’t look out of place in an Austin Powers film, with its gleaming disco ball, polished wood floors, traffic-light lamps and bright yellow pill-shaped kitchen hatch. Along one side is the Amber Room, a massive, not-so-private dining room that looks like a recording studio, pitch-perfect for Christmas parties. It’s flanked by the Red Room and Green Room, two smaller, closed-door dining rooms ideal for raucous long lunches.
The best table looks through an archway into the Grade II listed Fitzrovia Chapel next door, and there’s a mix of American diner-style red booths and more exposed tables. The motoring theme continues in framed prints of cars, and there are playful touches like the ‘stand up/sit down’ signs for the loos. It’s not loud in volume, but the aesthetic feels distinctly party-ready.
I visited during soft launch, so slight chaos and long waits between courses were par for the course, and an accidental second portion of focaccia was a bonus. On this early visit, there was a lack of the knowledge I’d expect from Parle’s restaurants, though service was extremely friendly.
The Food: While the restaurant itself is glitzy and ostentatious, the menu is more down to earth: simple, modern Italian made with quality ingredients by Ahearne, who led Marylebone restaurant Lita to rapid success in 2024. It starts with wedges of that soft rosemary focaccia to drag through whipped butter and olive oil (it’s worth saving some of the bread to use as scarpetta later on). Grilled Cornish sardines are butterflied and partially deboned, and arrive with five types of tomato, carpaccio-style. Then there’s a winning dish that’s moved almost verbatim from Lita: a plate of vibrant bluefin tuna carpaccio with soft red peppers and sudachi citrus that I’d happily eat anywhere.
From the primi, pappardelle with beef ragù is comforting. Wild sea bass comes on a bed of melting caponata with a rich red pepper ketchup. A side of hispi cabbage lacks the texture and general wow factor of the hispi main at Town, but a tomato salad is fresh and vibrant. Some of the portions feel small for the price, but thankfully, a side of pink fir potatoes is delightfully large and drenched in green herb butter. Parle and Ahearne have nailed the desserts: tiramisu is laced with Irish whiskey and has a strong coffee kick, while Amalfi lemon meringue pie makes a sweet, zingy finish.
The Drink: Satan’s Whiskers bartender Kevin Armstrong is behind the cocktail list, which includes a faultless Negroni. Seven beers are on draught, plus a mix of old and new world wines with a naming system to match the cheeky interior: the second on the list is called ‘Second Cheapest Red’.
The Verdict: A bold, fun follow-up to Town with reliably tasty food, just in time for party season. –Laura Price
→ Motorino (Fitzrovia) • 1 Pearson Sq • Mon-Sat 12-245p & 530-945p • Book.
RESTAURANTS • Intel
LITTLE ITALY: Thesleff Group – the people behind Los Mochis and Luna Omakase – is launching Sale e Pepe Mare, a version of the original Knightsbridge Italian that’s been open since 1974. Inspired by coastal dining and the Italian Riviera, Sale e Pepe Mare will serve linguine vongole e bottarga inside The Langham hotel from November. Book. –Laura Price
LONDON RESTAURANT LINKS: In Islington, Goodbye Horses opening wine bar and bottle shop • Carbone’s sister restaurant is coming to London • Petersham Nurseries team readying trattoria Trogolo in Notting Hill • What’s the human cost of a Gail’s loaf? • Why that chocolate cake will cost you more.
REAL ESTATE • First Mover
Three for-sale properties in red brick buildings on Green St. in Mayfair that recently came to market:
→ Green St (Mayfair, above) • 2BR/2BA/1R, 108 m2 flat • Asking price: £3.8mn • first floor (with lift), price negotiable • Ownership type: leasehold • Agent: Winkworth.
→ Green St (Mayfair) • 3BR/3BA/2R, 183 m2 maisonette • Guide price: £3.95mn • private roof terrace and courtyard garden off the main bedroom • Ownership type: share of freehold • Agent: Aldersley.
→ Green St (Mayfair) • 3BR/3BA/1R, 194m2 maisonette • Asking price: £4.85mn • duplex with views over the Secret Gardens of Green St • Ownership type: leasehold • Agent: Wetherell.
WORK & PLAY LINKS: In Shoreditch, new concept store Nekter Deli beckoning foodies • Best art exhibitions to see in London right now • It’s time to embrace the absurdity of work.
WORK • Wednesday Routine
Main character
EMILY ROUX • chef & owner • Caractère
Neighbourhood you work in: Notting Hill
Neighbourhood you live in: Fulham
It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I get to the restaurant around 8:30a after dropping my boys off. It’s only me and my husband (Caractère’s co-owner) Diego Ferrari in the kitchen before the rest of the team get in. It’s tranquil, and I put on music to get various jobs done. I work with pastry so there’s much to do: vanilla ganache, petit four, blackberry marmalade… Some things need to be in the oven while others need to be chilled, so I end up using the whole kitchen. I stop pastry around midday and get on with some admin until 2p – we don’t have lunch service on Wednesday. I then head off to pick up my eldest boy and take him to a swimming lesson before picking up the youngest from nursery. Then it’s home, dinner, put the kids to bed, and if need be, I return to the restaurant until about 10:30 or 11p.
What’s on the agenda for today?
It’s a busy time for the restaurant. We’re collaborating with Laurent-Perrier Champagne with a special menu until 30 November, featuring a glass of Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Itération No. 26 to accompany our canapés. We’re also working on Christmas menus and doing tastings for the Wimbledon 2026 menus that we do as part of Chez Roux. I also took part in an episode of the new Knife Edge series from Apple TV+, which was a great opportunity to share some of Caractère’s journey towards its Michelin star.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Our local is Joséphine Bouchon, so that’s somewhere I might go on Sunday or Monday. Brasserie Constance has also opened nearby. The food is wonderful and it’s special to be able to sit by the river. For something more casual, my kids and I really love C&R Cafe in Chinatown (their noodles are excellent). We also enjoy the Little Four Seasons as a family, and sometimes I get a takeaway from them.
Any weekend getaways?
Before we had kids, we loved going to The Ned for a long weekend. It’s in London so there’s no need to travel, but the pool, spa and terrace are all fantastic. We love to go to Lille whenever we can. We stay near our friends, who own a fantastic two-Michelin-star restaurant, ROZÓ. It’s a treat to see them, plus to eat, drink and do some food shopping.
What was your last great holiday?
The Maldives, last Christmas. We stayed at the resort Kuramathi, which is where Diego and I got married. We hadn’t been since, so it was very special to take our kids there. The resort has everything you need – snorkelling, wind surfing, even a little submarine for exploring the waters with the kids. In terms of restaurants, we really like Tandoor Mahal. It’s delicious and the local fish is just incredible.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
A Yum Asia Sakura rice cooker with so many different functions. I love making coconut sticky rice and the whole process is so easy.
What store or service do you always recommend?
Prezzemolo & Vitale, a chain of Italian delis with excellent ham and fresh pasta. My husband is Italian so we visit a lot.
Where are you donating your time or money?
Once a month we donate clothes to FARA Kids, a charity shop in Notting Hill. We also work closely with Hospitality Action through the Roux Scholarship.
CULTURE & LEISURE • On & On
Erykah Badu • Royal Albert Hall (South Kensington) • Sat @ 730p • grand tier, £167 per
The Wedding Present • 40th anniversary tour • O2 Forum (Kentish Town) • Sat @ 7p • stalls, £45 per
Amyl and the Sniffers • Alexandra Palace (Haringey) • Sat @ 630p • GA, £54 per
GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Shop
Down by the river
Five minutes’ walk from the National Theatre and Waterloo Bridge, Gabriel’s Wharf has been home to shops and restaurants since the ’80s. A small square of independent workshops and artist-run shops, it’s been a launchpad for creatives and designers for many years, and is currently home to Genki Designs, from designer Camille Dawson.
Everything in the shop is handmade, using recycled or vintage textiles: old silk saris, organic cotton, hand-dyed indigo, block prints, quilted Kantha cloth. The aesthetic is loose and layered, as in long robes, wide-leg trousers, wrap tops and roomy dresses. Pieces are cut to move in, to feel comfortable in, to wear in your own way. The standouts are undoubtedly the jumpsuits, with long halter tops that can be styled in multiple ways. Most are unisex without announcing it, just easy shapes, generous fits and sumptuous fabrics.
The racks shift constantly, and one-off pieces disappear fast. The colour palette drifts from deep indigo to turmeric yellows to washed-out, blush pinks, so there’s something to suit everyone. There are no logos or branding, but you’ll know it’s Genki when you see it. Camille is definitely one to watch. –Amy Rose Holland
→ Shop: Genki Designs (Waterloo) • Unit 3 & 4, Gabriel’s Wharf • Daily 11a-7p.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Soho House founder Nick Jones opening new London hotel St. Clement Hotel next year • Chiltern Firehouse sets April ’27 reopening • In Somerset, Osip launches artist-in-residence series • The women reshaping the region’s cuisine on Isle of Skye.
ASK FOUND
Three fresh subscriber PROMPTS for which we request your immediate attention:
What’s your favourite London spa?
Who do you trust to do your eyebrows?
What’s the best bar to dine alone at in London?
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@foundldn.com.
GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines
Provisioning, specialty grocers
The Nines are FOUND’s distilled lists of London’s best. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@foundldn.com.
Panzer’s Deli & Grocery (St. Johns Wood), Jewish deli, grocery and café w/ American imports